Microsoft’s Kinect sensor is now officially released

Announced at E3 2010, Microsoft’s Kinect sensor, one of the most advanced entertainment device has been officially released this week. In this field of motion gaming, Kinect is a bit late, but what they have brought is the future of gaming. No more controllers, “You are the controller” is the tag-line of their promotion. Even a simple operation like menu navigation may remind you of the famous Tom Cruise movie called “Minority Report”. It is available now with ($299 with Xbox 360 4GB) or without Xbox 360 ($149 separately). The first day of release was a little bit bumpy due to the face recognition issue, but Microsoft later announced that this was just a lighting problem and dark skins misrecognition.

To connect this to your Xbox 360 you will have to do one of the two ways:

1) if you have the new Xbox 360 then just plug it in through the Kinect port located at the back of your console;

2)if you have the older one, then use it with the external USB port.

The placement of the Kinect has been a real puzzle for the users after buying it, because it just seemed no environment is “just the perfect” environment for its very sensitive sensors. 6 feet is the recommended distance to be kept from the sensor and after trying it in many ways I think it will not be playable if you don’t follow the recommendation. So, it will take more space than any other motion gaming device(eg. Move or Wii), but that is not a big problem for the gamers I guess.

As Kinect does not have any physical controller it makes a good use of voice and movements. You can start just by shouting Xbox in the middle of a program and the voice command is, I think, the best input system of this device.
There are few titles available now with Kinect, but all of them don’t justify the $50 price tag attached to them. But who likes dancing will love to experience it with “Dance Central” as it makes the perfect use of the Kinect sensor. “Kinect Adventures” will give you a brand new feeling of using yourself as the controller and it’s a collection of five games. Another cool game is the fitness game made by Ubisoft “Your Shape: Fitness Evolved”. The problem here is that the cheaters cannot trick this and make the exercises and you will have to follow the instructions from your personal trainer.

Other game titles available: Fighters Uncaged, MotionsSports, DECA Sports Freedom, Sonic Free Riders, DanceMasters and Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 1.

Microsoft Kinect Sensor is something very special even if it may have some flaws, but this can be solved during next available updates. This is perfect for casual gamers because it involves a lot a movement and fun.

Source